Two way valve



June 26, 1962 L. E. RUSSELL 3,

T'JJO WAY VALVE Filed Sept. 8, 1958 INVENTOR. l/lVU-S c. P055621 States Patent @ffice 3,040,776 TWO WAY VALVE Linus E. Russell, Springfield, Qhio, assignor to Peters 81 Russell, Inc, Springfield,0hio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,739

2 Claims. (Cl. 137-625.4)

This invention relates to plural way valves. Although not so limited, it has special reference to marine accessories, it being contemplated to provide a valve useful in connection with a bilge pump and suitable hose lines selectively to drain different portions of a boat hull from a single pump location and without need for relocating the pump or the hose lines. Thus, a permanent installation is contemplated wherein the bilge pump and selector valve have fixed locations, as at the helm or wheel, and with separate hose lines extending from the valve to different parts of the boat hull, as to forward and aft locations in a power boat and to port and starboard locations in a sailboat. By selection at the valve, therefore, the pump can be caused to drain selected portions of the hull in accordancewiththe attitude of the boat on the surface of the water.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of plural way valves, whereby such valves may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and be unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to provide a generally new article of manufacture in the form of a plural way valve as described especially constructed and adapted for use as a small boat marine accessory.

Another object of the invention is to present a valve of the kind described especially characterized by a simplicity of construction whereby it may be installed in bilge lines in connection with a bilge pump without the use of special tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plural way valve as described having a single moving part and constructed for. ease of disassembly for simplified cleaning.

Still another object of the invention is to present a plural way valve as described having a -Y configuration and characterized by asimplified mode of operation by which separate valve intakes may selectively be opened and closed through manipulation of an external readily accessible lever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plural way valve possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1. is a view in front elevation of a plural way valve in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross-section, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the valve in side elevation;

FIG. 4 is a view in longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 3;-

FIG. 5 is a detail view of the rear face of a closure plate applied to the front of the valve body and providing a part of the mounting for the valve shaft; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view in perspective of the valve and of the rotary shaft by which it is adjusted.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing, the valve is made up of a body it) constructed for strength and lightness of weight, being in the illustrated instance made of molded fiberglass. The body 10 has a generally Y configuration produced by the projection of a single boss-like formation 11 from the body proper, and, in generally opposing relation to the formation 11 by similar boss-like formations 12 and 13 which incline toward the axislof the formation 11. In the mid portion of the body 10 is a recess 14 providing a valve chamber. The boss-like formations 11, 12 and 13 are formed with respective through openings 15, 16 and 17 communicating at their inner ends with the chamber 14. Installed in the boss formations in a manner in effect to form continuations thereof are respective tubular hose connectors '18, 19v and 21. The

outwardlyprojecting portions of the several connectorsare threadless so that the valve may be connected in the system merely by slipping a free hose end over each of the projecting connectors. It will be understood that the connections are made in the system to achieve the function desired. In a bilge pump system the connector 18 and boss formation 11 are connected to the suction side of a pump while the pair of connectors 19 and 21 have hose lines attached thereto leading to respectively different parts of the boat hull. p

The valve chamber 14 may be considered to be defined by a side wall 23, by a back wall 24 which is integral with the body 10 and by a front wall which is in the form of a closure plate 25 and which is removable. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 1, the closure plate 25 has a configuration approximating the outline of the valve chamber 14 and is formed with ear means 26 through which the cover is removably fastened by screws 27 to the body It in closing relation to the front of the chamber 14. The back wall 24 has a recess 28 which in the installed position of the cover plate 25 is aligned with a through opening 29 therein. Recess 28 and open ing 29 provide spaced apart bearings for a shaft 31. The one end of such shaft projects'through and beyond the opening 29 to the exterior of the valve body where there is removably attached to it, as by means of a set screw 32, manipulative means in the form of a lever 33. As will be understood, the shaft 31 is rotatable in the back and front wallsof the body by suitable manipulation of the lever 33 from the exterior of the body. Within the chamber 14 there is bonded or otherwise secured to the shaft 31 a valve element 34. The valve element 4 is made up of a relatively soft, deformable material such as synthetic rubber and has a wedge-like configuration with the apex or upper end thereof providing a through longitudinal passage forthe shaft 31. The main body of the valve element is dependent from the shaft 31 and the lower or base end thereof has a convex configuration matching a concave surface 35 in the bottom of the chamber 14 forming a part of the side wall 23. The pair of body openings 16 and 17 communicate with the chamber 14 through the concave surface 35 and occupy laterally spaced apart positions 'therealon-g. The

valve element 34 is dimensioned to place its convex- Patented June 26, 19 62 convex end of the valve is in superposed closing relation to one of the openings 16 or 17. For a more positive positioning of the valve at its extremes the chamber 14 has internal abutments 36 and 37 on opposite sides thereof which are engaged by the valve element and define limits of motion therefor. As may further be noted the valve element may occupy a central position in which parts of both of the pair of openings 16 and 17 are open to communication with the chamber 14.

Flow through either intake 16 or 17 thus is selected by manipulation of the lever 33 to place the valve element 34 in closing relation to one intake or the other and thereby at the same time opening the other intake to how into the chamber 14. The outlet is in free communication with the interior of the chamber 14 and it will be understood that flow may take place in a relatively unrestricted manner from the selected intake to the outlet. a

The valve element is constrained by friction to occup a set position of adjustment, the convex lower surface of the valve being in frictional contact with the concave body surface 35 and the shaft 31 being likewise in frictional contact with portions of the body. Further, it will be seen that in opening a selected intake for flow the valve moves to a position in which flow from the selected intake is applied in a direction to hold the valve in its set position. a

The valve assembly thus has relatively few parts and is easily disassembled for cleaning. The interior valve, being a soft synthetic rubber or the like always seats closely upon the intake to be closed and no surfaces are presented subject to wear or corrosion. Water flow through the device is relatively unrestricted, imposing no additional strain upon the pump. 'The valve may be mounted in any attitude or position and may be mounted having a'wall in spaced relation to said plate defining the back wall of said chamber while said plate defines the front wall thereof, said body forming also the peripheral wall of said chamber, a shaft having a rotary bearing in said back and front walls and projecting at its one end through said front wall to the exterior of the body, a handle on said one end of the valve for turning said shaft, and a valve mounted on said shaft to turn therewith in said chamber, said body having a plurality of openings through the peripheral wall of said chamber selectively closed off by rotary adjustment of said valve, said valve being made of a soft deformable material and constructed of a size to be compressed by installation of said removable plate between said plate and the back wall of said chamber to expand its periphery into frictional contact with the peripheral wall of said chamber and provide a detent force for holding said valve yieldingly in set positions of rotary adjustment, said valve being approximately wedge shaped, the smaller or apex end thereof being mounted on said shaft and the broader or base end extending toward contact with the peripheral wall of said chamber.

2. A marine accessory in the form of a two way bilge pump valve whereby different portions of a boat can be drained from a single pump location without the necessity of relocating suction lines, including a body presenting an internal valve chamber having spaced apart front and back walls and side walls, one of said front and back walls being removably mounted on the body and serving as a cover plate, a portion of said sidewalls having a concave configuration, said body further'having a pair of oppositely inclining intake passages opening into said valve chamber through said concave portion and an in either close or relatively remote relation to the pump.

Further, the application of the front Wall or coverplate 25 to the body may be such as to'apply a clamping pressure to the valve element 34 tending to expand it into tighter "frictional contact with adjacent surfaces of the body for tighter sealing and more secure positioning.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable,but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed recessed valve chamber open to the front of the body, a

removable plate installed on the front of said body to close said chamber, said body and said plate being made of a relatively rigid and unyielding material, said body variably to connect said third passage with said pair of passages, and means to limit movement of said valve to an oscillatory motion atthe limits of which it closes off a respective one of said pair of intake passages, said intake passages being positioned so that incoming water therefrom is applied to said valve to hold it in a set limit of oscillatory adjustment, said valve being made of a relatively soft and deformable material expansible by installation of the cover plate on the valve body into frictional contact with the walls of said chamber whereby further to tend to retain said valve in set positions of adjustment. 

